A Family Thing
by Whispi
Summary: Supernatural college AU. The stress of final exams at Stanford makes Cas think about his future with Dean. Destiel. A bit fluffy. For aspecialkindofhuman.


**For aspecialkindofhuman, and anyone else who's trying to study for exams. Lots of love from me, everyone!**

* * *

"Come on, Cas, it's not like your Religious Studies will actually be hard," Dean, Cas' boyfriend of two years said. "Aren't your parents, like, super religious nuts or something?"

Cas exhaled hard through his nose. "While my parents do take religion to an extreme, I hardly believe they're 'nuts,' Dean."

"And they taught you to talk like some . . . professor."

"I do intend to go back to school for my PhD in philosophy," Cas said, opening one of the many books piled on the table in front of him. "Which brings us back to my original point: I need to study."

Dean scoffed. "You sound just like Sam."

"I take that as a compliment. Sam is doing very well in the law program."

Dean was silent for a few minutes and Cas thought he'd won. Until his books were swept off the table by a plaid-clad (and well-muscled) arm, and Dean was lying spread out across the table.

"Dean!"

"Come on, Cas, it's Saturday!"

"And my exam is on Monday. Just because you don't have to study for anything doesn't mean I don't have to. Exams here at Stanford aren't a joke."

Dean chuckled to himself. "I don't know why you and Sammy are wasting your life at college."

"You're working at an auto repair shop, Dean."

"Hey! Bobby's Auto Shop has the best reputation in California."

Cas bent down to pick up one of his fallen books. "When we're older I'll be the one having to support the family."

A smile bloomed on Dean's face and his hazel eyes found Cas' blue ones. Cas blushed, looked away, opened his book to a random page, and said, "Dean, this is an interesting fact, did you know that a cat's penis is" -

Dean held up his hand, "Okay, Cas, enough with your interesting facts." He paused, crinkling his nose in confusion. "Why is that in your Bible book anyway?" Before Cas could answer he continued, "Wait, but did you say when we're older? As in our family?"

Cas allowed a shy little smile to find its way onto his face briefly before he cleared his throat and turned back to his book. "I need to study, Dean."

Dean reached up and tweaked Cas' nose with his finger. "You're the smartest person I know."

"Smarter than Sam?"

" . . . Second smartest."

Dean scooted around on the table so his head was hanging off the table in front of Cas. "Come on, baby, you know you wanna"-

"Don't be vulgar, Dean."

Dean flipped over and pressed his lips to Cas' in a wet sloppy kiss.

"Dean!" Cas snapped, shoving his book in front of his face.

There came a loud knock at the door. Dean slid off the table and opened the door. Standing there, taking up most of the doorframe, was the largest human Cas had so far come across.

"Sammy!" Dean said. "How's the studying coming? Come on in!" Cas loved the way Dean's eyes lit up when he spoke to his brother. Dean could be a greasy, rough mechanic with a bit of an alcohol problem until Sammy walked in. Then he went straight into big brother mode.

"Hey, Dean," Sam said. "I need to ask Cas about a problem for my math class."

"Hello, Sam," Cas said, gesturing for Sam to put his book on the table. "Dean has just been preventing me from studying."

Sam turned around to give Dean a look. "Dean, this is a very serious examination!"

Dean sulked in Cas' desk chair while Cas explained the math problem to Sam. "Both of you have got sticks up your asses. No wonder you became friends so quickly."

And lucky they had, Cas reflected. He and Sam had met in their freshman Biology 201 class. They'd formed a study group with two girls in their class, Charlie, Jo, and Jessica (whom Sam was now dating). Cas would never have met Dean had Sam not been desperate to introduce his big brother to all his new friends. Dean had slipped his number into the pocket of Cas' coat and given him a salacious wink, making Cas blush to the roots of his hair. Cas liked remembering that night.

"Oh, you two," Sam said as he stood at the door, "Jessica and I want to take you out to dinner in a few nights. Family thing, you know. Start thinking of restaurants."

Dean grinned. "Sure thing, Sam."

"To celebrate the end of exams," Cas added, nodding, and Sam laughed as he shut the door to Cas' room.

"How did I get so lucky, hmm, Cas?" Dean said. He pushed off with his foot to spin the chair. "My little brother's studying law with a hot chick, and I've got . . . " He stopped the chair and stood up. " . . . A boyfriend . . ."

Cas turned around in his chair and held up his hand before Dean could come any closer. "Dean. I've got an exam Monday, two on Tuesday, and one on Wednesday! I've got tons of work to do."

Dean grinned lewdly. "I can think of a lot of things I'm sure you'd rather be doing. They include but aren't limited to" -

"Dean, go away, okay!" Cas snapped, his tether finally breaking. "These exams are important to me! I can't just wing it, okay, I can't just take it on faith, here, I have to study. Okay, and you're not helping."

The grin fell off of Dean's face. "Okay, okay, sorry, I'll leave."

"Yes, please do," Cas grumbled as he turned around to glare at his books.

The door clicked shut as Dean left. Finally, some peace.

* * *

Cas' thoughts kept returning to Dean as he studied. He shouldn't have snapped at him like that. But if Dean couldn't learn to respect his wishes, well . . . He turned his thoughts back to the textbook.

At 4:30 he finally decided to stop studying. His head was pounding-a definite sign that a break was necessary. He'd finish up his studies tomorrow, he decided. He pulled his phone out of his pocket. A missed call from his dad . . . he'd deal with that later.

He chose the name Charlie in his contacts and put the phone to his ear. "Hi, Cas, what's happening over there?" came Charlie's chirpy voice through the phone. "I hope you're not driving yourself too crazy."

"Hi, Charlie, that's actually what I called about," Cas said. "I told Dean off earlier for bothering me. I think he's mad at me."

"Oh, really?" Charlie said. "Want me to bring over some brownies and a movie? We could have a girls' night."

"No thanks," Cas chuckled. "Sorry. I was hoping for a . . . boys' night, if you know what I mean . . ."

"Oh, um, thanks for telling me, Cas," Charlie said. "I, um" -

"No, I didn't mean - !" Cas corrected himself. "I'm sorry, I just meant . . . Would you help me set up something romantic for Dean?"

Charlie laughed. "You're asking me to be your wingman!"

"Not exactly," Cas protested, "just . . . I'm bad at this sort of thing."

"Meet me in front of your dorm in ten minutes," Charlie said, and hung up the line.

One romantic evening, coming up.

* * *

By some act of God, everything was ready an hour and a half later later. A picnic blanket was spread out in a secluded corner of the school's lawn with a basket of food beside it. Charlie had somehow managed to procure some twinkle lights which she had draped over a nearby bush. Lanterns would have been nice, but they had had to hang flashlights from the overhanging tree branch. Classy.

Cas decided to send Dean a text. That was more mysterious. Meet me under the big oak tree in the corner of the lawn, said the text. Ask no questions. Cas thought for a moment and added, Please bring a flashlight. It was still a little dim.

Dean arrived about fifteen minutes later. His face broke into a big grin when he saw Cas' arrangement. "This is fancy. You never do stuff like this."

Cas was sitting cross-legged on the picnic blanket. He smiled at his lap. "Not never, obviously. Charlie helped me," he added.

Dean sat down across from Cas and opened the basket. "Oh, Cas, baby, you know what I like!" Dean pulled out one of the burgers, unwrapped it, and took an alarmingly huge bite.

"I'm sorry I got angry with you, Dean," Cas said after a beat.

"It's okay," Dean replied with his mouth full. "I should've left you alone. This makes up for it though. Burgers and flashlights hanging from a tree."

"They're lanterns, Dean," Cas said with a deadpan expression. Dean burst out laughing, spewing hamburger bits across the blanket.

When they had finished their dinner, Dean reached inside his leather jacket and pulled out a crinkled piece of paper. "I, uh, made you something too," he said gruffly, using his other hand to pick his teeth. "It's really stupid, actually, I want it back" -

But Cas had already snatched the paper from Dean. It was folded into a card. On the front was a stick figure with blue eyes and wings. On the inside were words: Keep studying, Cas. From, Dean.

"You're an angel," Dean muttered, "get it? Because you're majoring in" -

He couldn't finish his sentence because Cas had thrown the card aside and kissed Dean with a ferocity he hadn't realized he was capable of.

"Damn, Cas," Dean gasped when they broke apart for breath. "If studying is going to make you this horny, then you've got my blessing for the rest of eternity."

Cas chuckled and kissed Dean again, more gently this time. "I have considered the possibility of starting a family with you, Dean," Cas said, looking shyly down at the picnic table. "I'd like to be able to support you and - and a kid, maybe."

Maybe it was the reflection from the twinkle lights, but Dean looked positively starry-eyed as he looked back at Cas. "Kids are great, Cas. I think I'd be good with kids."

"I think you would too," Cas said, pulling Dean down so they were lying side by side on the blanket.

"We would," Dean said after a moment. "Damn, Cas, we could do it."

Cas nuzzled into Dean's neck and they lay in silence together for a while.

"We're family, Cas," Dean murmured eventually. "Like Sam said. A family thing."

Cas smiled to himself in the dim light. He was with his boyfriend, in the light of the flashlights, talking about starting a family. Dean had said it earlier, he realized: "How did I get so lucky?"

* * *

Years later, when they lived in a house in Kansas with their two kids, they'd look back at that night as one of the best of Cas' college years. And hindsight only made it sweeter - Cas aced his exams the following week.

* * *

**It's been forever since I've written anything! It was kind of nice to get back to it, even though I was putting off my own studies lol. Hope you enjoyed it, and I'd love a review! **

**(And lol I know, college AU, cliche, blah blah blah . . . I just couldn't resist!)**


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